The Potato Cake Mystery

Potato cakes are a food I remember fondly from my childhood. My mother made these crispy treats often, for two reasons: First, the main ingredient was leftover potatoes, and second, they cooked in the broiler. My mother’s gas stove had a broiler drawer directly under the oven. When she turned on the oven, she would take advantage of its heat by broiling food at the same time.

I have an electric oven with no broiler drawer, but I’m not sure that’s why I’ve never made potato cakes. Yesterday I had a lot of leftover potatoes, so I decided to experiment. The cakes came out crisp but somewhat tasteless. I didn’t poll my company. I’m not sure whether I just didn’t add enough salt, or I left out some essential ingredient like schmaltz. Or perhaps my palate has become more sophisticated over the years.

Here’s the recipe, for you to play with:

Ingredients:

About 7 leftover potatoes, mashed coarsely

2 eggs

1.5 onions, chopped and sauteed

salt and pepper

paprika

Instructions: Mix ingredients, form into mounds, and place under the broiler for about twenty minutes, until brown on top.

For many years I was making my mom’s lokshen kugel (dairy noodle kugel/pudding) recipe from memory. When I finally got the recipe from her I was surprised to see eggs in it. No wonder she cooked it for so long and no wonder mine never stayed in slices! It didn’t really alter the taste dramatically, but it probably does distinguish a kugel from a pudding.

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About Me

I'm Hannah Katsman, mother of six. I wrote this site to help home cooks learn to make quick, healthy meals from easily available ingredients in less time. Aside from lots of recipes, at Cooking Manager you'll learn lots about different ingredients, efficient cooking techniques, and appliances. Read More…